The Primer is designed to serve as a summary document, which introduces and encapsulates information pertinent to the development of CBM. The discussions focus on coal deposits, methane as a naturally formed gas, splitmineral ownership, development techniques, operational issues, producing methods, applicable regulatory frameworks, land and resource management, mitigation measures, preparation of project plans, data availability, Indian Trust issues and relevant environmental technologies.

Papers on coalbed occurrences in the world, ranging from reports on lithologic variations to thermal simulations, to a range of geologic considerations such as sealing, faluting, and methane maturation. 167 citations to date.

The primary energy source of natural gas is a substance called methane (CH4). Coal bed methane (CBM) is simply methane found in coal seams. It is produced by non-traditional means, and therefore, while it is sold and used the same as traditional natural gas, its production is very different. CBM is generated either from a biological process as a result of microbial action or from a thermal process as a result of increasing heat with depth of the coal. Often a coal seam is saturated with water, with methane is held in the coal by water pressure. Currently, natural gas from coal beds accounts fo... More →